Units for connecting together successive ladder sections

ABSTRACT

A sectionalized ladder of which the sections are provided with matching proximate, hinged together end portions to produce an integrated assembly; such hinged relationship permitting both sections to be brought into alignment with each other to produce an aligned section ladder of length greater than either of the sections, or may be folded into facial contact with each other to produce a double thickness unit of the length of a section, and locked in such aligned section thickness or such double thickness condition for ready transport or storage.

United States Patent 1191 Littlejohn Dec. 118, 1973 UNITS FOR CONNECTINGTOGETHER SUCCESSIVE LADDER SECTIONS [76] Inventor: Callion Littlejohn,5118 Dorchester Ave., Chicago, 111. 60615 22 Filed: July 26, 1972 21Appl. No.: 275,322

Related U.S. Application Data [63] Continuation-impart of Ser. No.249,152, May 1,

[52] U.S. Cl. 182/163, 182/24 [51] Int. Cl. E06c 1/383 [58] FieldofSearch 182/24, 163, 164; 16/149, 176, 177

[56] References Cited UNlTED STATES PATENTS 1,479,628 1/1924 Seger182/24 1.497.374 6/1924 Jones 292/325 301,726 7/1884 Koch 182/24 646,3473/1900 Betty..... 825,061 7/1906 Kohne 182/24 Primary ExaminerReinaldoP. Machado Attorney-Robert C. Brown, Jr. et a1.

57 ABSTRACT A sectionalized ladder of which the sections'are providedwith matching proximate, hinged together end portions to produce anintegrated assembly; such hinged relationship permitting both sectionsto be brought into alignment with each other to produce an alignedsection ladder of length greater than either of the sections, or may befolded into facial contact with each other to produce a double thicknessunit of the length of a section, and locked in such aligned sectionthickness or such double thickness condition for ready transport orstorage.

4 Claims, 3 Drawing Figures FIG. 1 shows a perspective view of a portionof a ladder embodying features of my present invention, such viewshowing two ladder sections hinged together in full line showing, andalso shows by dashed lines the position into which the lower section maybe turned into parallelism with the adjacent section, and also shows bydashed lines a locking plate which may serve to lock the two sections inalignment with each other;

FIG. 2 shows in perspective and on enlarged scale as compared to FIG. I,a view looking at the top surface of the structure and shows how theproximate portions of the two ladder sections may be secured together bya transition plate hinged to the top surface of one section, and lockedto the top surface of the othersection by a convenient locking element;and

FIG. 3 shows in perspective and disassembly, the elements shown in FIG.2.

Looking first at FIG. 1, the two ladder units are shown at and 11, theirproximate lower end surfaces being hinged together by the hinge 12 whichhinge comprises a unit including the socket assemblies or sections 13and 14. Each of such sections 13 and 14 includes gripping elements ofthe form shown in FIG. 3. Each of such gripping elements is of generallyU-shape, provided with outwardly extending flanges, (on the unit 13, andon unit 14), provided with openings through which tie bolts may beextended to draw the units together in gripping fashion thus firmlygripping the side bars of the ladder units. Such flanges are shown at 15on the units 13 and at 16 on the units 14. The units 13 and 14 ofproximate ladder elements are provided with companion end hook shapedextensions 16 and 16" which interconnect when the proximate ends ofladder sections are brought together, through which proximate extensionsthere may be extended pins or bolts 17 such as shown in FIG. 3, thushingedly connecting together the proximate ends of successive units 13and 14. In FIG. 1 two proximate end portions have been connectedtogether at 12, so that the two units 13 and I4 may be turned intonon-alignment or may be aligned as shown in FIG. 2.

When proximate sections have been aligned (as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2),they may be secured in such alignment, as follows: i

A locking plate 18 may be set against the surfaces of the two sectionswhich sections have been aligned, such plate being connected to the twosections in convenient manner, as by hinging such plate 18 to one of thesections, as shown at 19, the other end portion of such hinge platebeing connected to the proximate section by provision of an opening insuch plate 18 at position to receive the loop 20 carried by thecompanion section, through which loop may be extended a locking unit 21as shown in FIG. 2.

As shown in the drawings, locking unit 21 is connected to one of theengaging sets of flanges l5 and 16 23 and 25, with its end 25 beingproportioned to be freely received through loop 20; unit 21 is angled todispose its end 25 to one side of the assemblies 13 and 14 for readyapplication thereto of snap fastener 24.

I claim:

1. In a sectionalized-ladder arrangement including two ladder sectionseach comprising a pair of spaced parallel side bars'having step elementsextending therebetween, a hinge device for hinging together the sidebars on the respective sides of the ladder sections, at adjacent ends,said hinge device comprising:

a pair of socket assemblies each comprising: first and second halfsections of U-shaped transverse cross-sectional configuration eachdefining laterally extending securing flanges,

said sections of each assembly being proportioned to be applied oneither side of a ladder section side bar end and receive same,

said flanges of the respective assembly half sections being disposed inopposed relation when such half sections receive a ladder section sidebar end, fastener means for securing together the opposed half sectionflanges of the respective assemblies to draw the respective halfsections against the ladder section side bar end engaged by same to makesuch sections fast to such side bar end,

with the second sections of said assemblies being hinged together forrelative movement into and out of longitudinal alignment,

a locking plate hinged to the first section of one of said assembliesand mounted for movement into flush engagement with the first section ofthe other assembly when said assemblies are in longitudinal alignment,

said locking plate being apertured to pass through same aloop carried bysaid other assembly first section when said locking plate is in saidflush engagement with said other assembly first section,

and a keeper element secured to said other assembly and proportioned forclose fitting engagement with said loop when said loop is passed throughsaid locking plate,

said keeper element being secured to said other assembly by a tie memberextending between one end of said keeper element and said other assemy,

said tie member carrying a snap fastener and said keeper element havingthe other end of same apertured to receive said snap fastener tomaintain said keeper element within said loop when said keeper elementhas been applied to said loop to lock said assemblies in alignedrelation.

2. The hinge device set forth in claim 1 wherein:

said tie member is made fast to one of said flanges of said otherassembly.

3. The hinge device set forth in claim 1 wherein:

said keeper element is tapered longitudinally thereof from said otherend of same to said one end of same with said other end of same beingproportioned to freely pass through said loop and said one end of samebeing proportioned for said close fitting engagement with said loop.

4. The hinge device set forth in claim 3 wherein:

said keeper element is angled to dispose said other end of same to oneside of said assemblies for ready application thereto of said snapfastener.

1. In a sectionalized ladder arrangement including two ladder sectionseach comprising a pair of spaced parallel side bars having step elementsextending therebetween, a hinge device for hinging together the sidebars on the respective sides of the ladder sections, at adjacent ends,said hinge device comprising: a pair of socket assemblies eachcomprising: first and second half sections of U-shaped transversecrosssectional configuration each defining laterally extending securingflanges, said sections of each assembly being proportioned to be appliedon either side of a ladder section side bar end and receive same, saidflanges of the respective assembly half sections being disposed inopposed relation when such half sections receive a ladder section sidebar end, fastener means for securing together the opposed half sectionflanges of the respective assemblies to draw the respective halfsections against the ladder section side bar end engaged by same to makesuch sections fast to such side bar end, with the second sections ofsaid assemblies being hinged together for relative movement into and outof longitudinal alignment, a locking plate hinged to the first sectionof one of said assemblies and mounted for movement into flush engagementwith the first section of the other assembly when said assemblies are inlongitudinal alignment, said locking plate being apertured to passthrough same a loop carried by said other assembly first section whensaid locking plate is in said flush engagement with said other assemblyfirst section, and a keeper element secured to said other assembly andproportioned for close fitting engagement with said loop when said loopis passed through said locking plate, said keeper element being securedto said other assembly by a tie member extending between one end of saidkeeper element and said other assembly, said tie member carrying a snapfastener and said keeper element having the other end of same aperturedto receive said snap fastener to maintain said keeper element withinsaid loop when said keeper element has been applied to said loop to locksaid assemblies in aligned relation.
 2. The hinge device set forth inclaim 1 wherein: said tie member is made fast to one of said flanges ofsaid other assembly.
 3. The hinge device set forth in claim 1 wherein:said keeper element is tapered longitudinally thereof from said otherend of same to said one end of same with said other end of same beingproportioned to freely pass through said loop and said one end of samebeing proportioned for said close fitting engagement with said loop. 4.The hinge device set forth in claim 3 wherein: said keeper element isangled to dispose said other end of same to one side of said assembliesfor ready application thereto of said snap fastener.